


You're the crime and I'm the scene

by Sister_Grimm



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Implied Child Abuse, James Jesse's A+ Parenting, M/M, Referenced Past Underage Prostitution, Referenced suicide, Road Trip, Sexuality Crisis, ambiguous ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-17
Updated: 2018-06-17
Packaged: 2019-05-24 09:53:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14952407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sister_Grimm/pseuds/Sister_Grimm
Summary: Eddie's never picked someone up before, even if it's just a Craigslist ride share not anything seedier





	You're the crime and I'm the scene

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from New Year's Day "Kill or Be Killed."
> 
> Mind the tags, this got a little dark

_25 year old man looking for a ride to Central City on May 1st, willing to pay for gas and food. Urgent._

And there's a phone number and a name.

Eddie sighs, looking at the screen. He'd been planning on driving to Central anyway, clear his head after his and Iris's breakup, and the company would be nice. So he calls the number.

"Yo?", the breathy masculine voice on the other end says.

"Axel Walker?", his heart is pounding and his throat is dry.

"Yeah?"

"I'm Eddie Thawne. I saw your ad on Craiglist. I'm going to Central that day. I can drive you."

Axel giggles on the other end, "Awesome thanks."

"When should I pick you up?" and why is he so nervous about this.

_He could be a serial killer or a creep or something_ , his mind supplies without hesitation.

"8? Get a head start?"

Eddie nods and says, "Sounds perfect."

***

It's sunny by the time he gets going to pick up Axel, stopping to pick up coffee in a big to go mug. He pulls up in front of a small apartment and kills the power to his car. A man is waiting by the curb with a large backpack and that must be Axel, who turns towards the noise.

Oh. Eddie's straight but Axel is striking, with big eyes and full lips, almost swimming in a leather jacket covered in cartoon-y patches. And he sees the car and smiles. Eddie leans over to unlock the passenger door, "Toss your stuff in the back." 

Axel nods and tosses his bag with Eddie's in the trunk before he slips into the passenger seat and slouches down before looking at Eddie and saying, "You're prettier than I expected."

Eddie hides his blush behind a sip of coffee and mumbles, "Thanks."

Axel smiles at him and eyes Eddie's gps, "Never driven that far?"

"I like being sure of where I'm going.", Eddie says and it feels like a metaphor for something but he's not sure what but Axel cracks open an energy drink and nods.

"I dunno, there's definitely something about chaos." And Axel winks at him, "What kind of music do you like?"

"Classic rock, thrash metal, punk." And Eddie's palms are not sweating at the easy flirtatious lilt in Axel's words.

And Axel literally lights up, "Fuck yeah Eddie you are speaking my language." Axel plugs his phone, in a yellow case with stickers into the speakers and cues up what sounds like Cancer Bats as they pull away from the curb.

"So going to visit family?", Axel asks as they pull towards the highway.

He shrugs, "Sort of. Needed to clear my head now that exams are over."

Axel nods, fingers tapping out the drum line of the song they're listening to, "Exams?"

"Yeah. I'm a kinesiology major and I start at the Police Academy in Central in September."

"Ooh a cop.", Axel laughs, sounding scandalized.

Eddie rolls his eyes but can’t help but smile at Axel’s eyes on him. And he is not blushing.

***

They pull over at about 6 at McDonalds and Eddie’s not a big fast food guy but the way Axel lights up when he sees it so Eddie pulls over. Like an idiot. 

Getting a motel room is _also_ ‘s Axel idea. "I'm pretty sure you don't want me to drive.", he says laughing. They get a two bed for about 50 bucks and Eddie’s hands are shaking as he turns the key but when they get into it's sort of anti climatic, it looks like every other motel room he's been in, two twin beds covered with a patterned comforter with small scones beside it and Axel finally shucks off the leather jacket and...

Eddie totally loses his train of thought because Axel is wearing a cream coloured t-shirt with a black ink design and his defined arms are covered in brightly coloured American traditional tattoos. Axel seems to realize he's staring and gives him a little smirk, "I know I said gas, but I can definitely swing grass or ass."

Eddie gasps, "I ... Uh..."

Axel laughs, winking, "You're cute when you're flustered." 

Eddie rolls his eyes but he still can't hide his blush and Axel gives him a knowing smile. 

He's making desperate breathy gasps against Axel's mouth and Axel's hand is warm around his dick. Eddie is keening, nails scraping down Axel's bony back and Axel is whispering his name like a prayer and all Eddie wants to do is _touch_ him, so he does. Gets his hand around Axel's cock, stroking slowly as he begs and beg Axel does, filthy fucking commands against Eddie's ear and Eddie comes with a cry and...

Wakes up, pants damp and looks around in horror but Axel doesn't seem to have moved at all, thank god. So he drags himself to a shower and tries to remember how good sex with Iris had been. And it had been good, really good and he focuses on an image of her going down on him as he leans his head against the shower wall but it takes only a few strokes before Fantasy!Iris morphs into Axel swallowing him down, jagged nails digging into Eddie's hips and Eddie comes again, biting into his arm to stifle a cry of Axel's name and he curses. 

He's not gay. He's not. 

*** 

He wakes up to an 8 am alarm, his phone buzzing against the fake wood bedside table and he hears groaning as Axel wakes up in the next bed. Eddie shoots him a smile and Axel flashes a silly sleepy smile before he slips out of bed to have a shower. Eddie lets him have the first shower because he's nice and also because he doesn't really feel like he needs to have another shower after the one he had the previous night. 

Breakfast is McDonalds, as is the coffee which is shockingly good and Axel laughs when he says that, "You're adorable. Wow." 

__

__

Eddie rolls his eyes but he doesn't really mind, especially not when Axel looks at him like that, with a curving smirk and hooded eyes. He's warm and flushed and has to look away before whatever the fuck he's feeling starts to show too obviously on his face. 

They're moving quickly enough down the interstate when he finally asks, "So what's taking you to Central?" 

Axel jerks up, like he hadn't been expecting Eddie to talk. They'd fallen into an easy comfortable silence as the Sabaton blares over the speakers and finally Axel says, "I'm going to my dad's funeral." 

"Shit, I'm sorry. Were you close?" 

In retrospect it's a weird thing to say, what does he expect when Axel says, "Yeah, really really close." 

"I'm really sorry. That's rough." 

He remembers his dad's suicide after his affair with Hartley came out. And the way people asked him questions like that that he didn't know how to answer since even on his good days his dad had been an asshole. 

*** 

Axel has a lovely voice and they sing along to Hammerfall and Disturbed and AC/DC as they ride out the interstate. The scenery has basically looked the same since they left New Jersey - intermittent cities and lots of flat grounds. 

They talk a lot, mostly about Eddie's degree and Axel's bartending job, which mostly turned to bitching about coworkers and classmates and Axel tells a few stories about crazy relationships. 

*** 

They're stopped in Ohio and Eddie is definitely starting to think Axel is deliberating dragging the trip out. They have two six packs and they're sitting next to the beds on the floor, tv playing Jeopardy and Axel is working on his fifth or even sixth beer and after Eddie explains how his dad slept with one of his friend and then killed himself Axel blurts out, "My dad pimped my mom out." 

Eddie coughs, beer burning as it goes down the wrong tube, "Jesus, Axel." 

And then Axel's eyes fix on the ceiling, "He started pimping me out when I was sixteen. I don't know how she found out but she confronted me last time I was home and I told her the truth, and uh...", Axel's voice cracks, "she fucking shot him. I loved my dad and she shot him. And he's dead. And she's going to fucking prison. It wasn't worth it. I'm not worth it." And Eddie looks at Axel and his eyes are shiny and the subtle glimmer of tear tracks is visible on his cheeks. 

"Jesus, Axel.", Eddie breathes, moving close enough to hesitantly move to hug Axel. He pulls up short before he actually touches him. "Can I?" 

And then Axel nods and Eddie pulls him close, feels Axel shaking in his arms, tears seeping into Eddie's shoulder. They end up falling asleep together on top of Eddie's bed. He wakes up first, with Axel still in his arms and he tries to untangle himself but he jostles Axel and Axel wakes up with a groan, "Fuck, my head." 

"You ok?" 

And Axel looks at him and then smiles, "Shit I can't remember anything. Good thing I'm fully clothed, right?" 

Eddie flinches, shaking his head and saying, "Hey, you're safe with me." 

_because you're straight_ his brain fills in but Eddie refuses to say that out loud. He needs Axel to know he's safe, full stop. Not safe because Eddie's not into him. Because Eddie might be a little bit into him. Which is oddly reassuring Eddie realizes as he exhales. 

Axel looks at him, squinting a bit against his hangover and says, "You're one of the good ones, Eddie." 

Eddie blushes, "Thanks. Breakfast?" 

Axel nods, "Fucking A." 

It's McDonalds again, because apparently Axel really fucking loves McDonalds. But they get their coffees and sit down and Eddie tries to figure out how to approach the subject discussed last night. "Do you remember anything?" 

"From last night?", Axel shakes his head, "nope, not really." 

He's almost certain Axel is lying but he's not gonna push. So he takes a sip from his coffee and they headed back to the car. 

*** 

Their last night together is spent at a Super 8 motel. And when they close the door behind them, it's with an awkward pause and Axel says, "Are you going to stare or are you gonna fucking kiss me?" 

Eddie stops, "Axel?" 

"Well?", Axel says, this time as a challenge. 

And Eddie reaches forward, fingers brushing through Axel's hair and resting on the back of his neck and Axel sighs and Eddie leans in and kisses him. Axel sighs against his lips, teeth grazing against Eddie's bottom lip, hands sliding down Eddie's chest. And he loops his fingers through Eddie's belt loops and pulls him close. "Do you even know how hot you are?" 

Eddie chuckles, Iris used to tell him that but still he remembers being the fat kid in elementary school and can barely believe it but Axel pulls him towards the bed and he breaks away just enough to pull off his t-shirt. And Axel grins "Fuck me.", he breathes and Eddie cannot tell if it's a command or just an expletive so instead he just shoves Axel's shirt up and takes a moment to appreciate how fucking beautiful Axel is. And then Eddie's on his back on the bed and Axel is on him, kissing him desperate and wanting and Eddie groans, moving down to Axel's neck and taking a moment to savour the quiet little noises Axel is making with every scrape of his teeth against Axel's throat. 

His pants are getting ridiculously fucking uncomfortable and this whole hooking up with a dude thing is much less weird thankfully than he thought it would be, the flat panes of Axel's chest very different from any woman he's been with, the feeling of Axel's hips rolling against his and he moves down to undo his pants, knuckles brushing Axel's dick and he hears Axel fucking moan. "I've never..." 

And Axel nods, "That's ok." And then Axel is pushing down his pants and Eddie stops worrying because Axel's going down on him, hands holding Eddie's hips in place to stop him from thrusting up and Eddie tangles his fingers in Axel's hair and can't help but pull and feels Axel moaning around his dick and oh god god. The tension is coiling in his stomach and he's tugging harder on Axel's hair, hips canting up despite the pressure of Axel's hands. And he can't help but call out when he comes. 

Axel pulls off as he begins to soften and wipes his mouth on the back of his hand. And Eddie pulls him in and kisses him startled briefly by the salty taste on Axel's lips. And he wraps his hand around Axel's dick, this is something he can do, something he doesn't need to over think. It's like jacking himself, starting with slow easy strokes and then he hears Axel begging and he cannot help but given the guy what he wants and he begins to move faster and Axel looks at him, "God, so fucking close. You're so fucking hot." And Axel's not lying, he comes fast and there's a brief moment where they just look at each other and then Axel kisses him. 

"I'm not gay.", he blurts out and why the _fuck_ did he say that? 

Axel tenses, "Glad you figured that out." And then Axel pulls away, reaching for his clothes without saying anything. 

*** 

The final leg of the car ride is silent but it's not the easy comfortably silence of the last two days, it's awkward and sullen and tense. Axel is obsessively checking his phone. 

He drops Axel off in front of a house that's surprisingly nice and Eddie admits to himself he doesn't know what he was really expecting. And he lingers briefly until Axel goes inside. So he drives off. 

He meets his mom and her new boyfriend for lunch and he keeps thinking about the way Axel looked at him after they have sex and it doesn't change how he felt about Iris but it puts how he felt about Barry into stark realization and oh he is so queer. 

He's in his mom's living room, making plans with a friend from Keystone when his phone rings. 

It's Axel. He's pretty sure the funeral is happening right now so he answers. 

"Axel?" 

"Eddie?", and Axel is crying and sounds like he's hyperventilating. 

"Yeah, what's up?", and Eddie is already grabbing his keys and hurrying towards his car, just on instinct. 

"I'm at the Smallwood Cemetery. Come get me?", then there's a small broken noise, "Please?" 

Of course Eddie will. The Smallwood Cemetery is a half hour drive and when he gets there Axel is leaning against the wall in a full suit but his eyes are red. Eddie unlocks his passenger door and honks the horn and Axel jumps and then all but runs to the car. "What happened?", Eddie blurts out. 

"I loved my dad.", Axel says. "He fucking sold us and I still loved him. I was willing." 

"You were a kid abused by a parent.", Eddie snaps. 

"The cops were there. They want to talk to me about some of my dad's associates.", and he sneers the last words. 

"Where do you need me to take you?", Eddie says finally, as he pulls the car away. 

"Jitters?", Axel asks, wiping at his eyes. 

*** 

At Jitters they buy a couple of black coffees and sit down. This time Eddie talks first, "I'm queer. And I'm sorry I freaked out on you." 

"I know.", Axel says with a slightly tear strained smile. 

Eddie blinks awkwardly, "I also have the worst timing ever but do you want to get dinner?" 

Axel throws his head back and laughs, "Worst fucking timing. But yes, definitely." 


End file.
